SLOANE
I buried myself in piles of law books, my hands shaking as I flipped page after page. My heart felt tight, like something was wrapped around it and pulling hard. Anger burned behind my eyes. It made it hard to breathe.
Mr. Delgado’s voice would not leave my head.
“You can’t handle this case.”
I shut my eyes and leaned back in my chair.
Why did he say it like that? Like I was a child. Like I hadn’t earned my place here. Like I hadn’t worked twice as hard just to be seen.
“I can handle it,” I whispered to the empty office.
The words sounded weak. I hated that.
The building was quiet. Most people had already gone home. Christmas lights blinked outside the tall windows. Red and gold. Soft and warm. Everything looked peaceful.
I felt nothing like that.
I rubbed my temples and t
